Melanoma diagnoses in the UK rose above 20,000 for the first time in 2022, with 20,980 people told they had the disease, as health officials warned that strong sun during the bank holiday heatwave could push more people into danger.
Cancer Research UK said the country was forecast to face temperatures of up to 30C in some parts over the weekend, and yellow heat health alerts were issued across England by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office. The timing matters because the charity’s analysis shows nearly nine in 10 melanoma cases in the UK are caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds.
The figures mark another step in a disease that is already the fifth most common cancer in the UK. Cancer Research UK projected there could be 26,500 new melanoma cases every year in the UK by 2040, driven in part by the growing and ageing population. The charity also projected a 23% increase in cases in men and a 26% increase in women by that point.
Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, said it was concerning to see the rising numbers of people diagnosed with melanoma skin cancers across the UK. She said the fact that most of these cases are preventable underlined the importance of taking sun safety seriously. Mitchell urged people to seek shade, cover up and apply sunscreen, and to contact a GP if they notice a new or changing mole, a sore that does not heal or any area of skin that looks out of the ordinary.
The warning lands as many people prepare to spend more time outdoors for the bank holiday weekend, when the uv index can climb alongside temperatures. Cancer Research UK said that made the risk harder to ignore, especially because sunburn is not limited to hot weather. Fiona Osgun, a health information manager at the charity, said sunburn is a clear sign that skin has been damaged and can happen on cooler or cloudier days too.
That point is more than a precautionary note. Having five or more sunburns doubles the risk of melanoma, and the pattern of where the cancer appears differs by sex: four in 10 melanomas in men are found on the torso, including the back, chest and stomach, while about 35% in women are found on the lower limbs, from the hips to the feet. Those differences can make the warning signs easier to miss until the disease has advanced.
Prof Peter Johnson, a senior cancer specialist, said melanoma skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and the latest figures are a stark reminder of the importance of staying safe in the sun. The message from the numbers is blunt: the disease is rising, the weather is turning risky, and the simplest defenses are still the most effective.
Osgun said the best protection is shade in the middle of the day, clothing that covers the shoulders, a hat and sunglasses, and sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with four or five stars that is applied generously and reapplied regularly. For people heading into the long weekend, the immediate question is not whether the sun will be strong enough to matter, but whether they will treat it that way.
